Looking ahead to 2020

Dear Friends,

Embrace change–it is the only constant in life. As we daily experience the reality of change in nature and in our spiritual journeys, it also shapes the social groupings that are the fabric of society. With this background, the Sisters of Notre Dame are excited to announce that the four U.S. provinces will become one new province in July, 2020.

The Sisters of Notre Dame began as one U.S. province in the early 1900s. As they spread across the country, dividing into separate provinces made it easier to coordinate expanding ministries locally. Over the past two decades, there has been increasing collaboration among our four U.S. provinces, so the opportunity to work more closely together on nation-wide ministries became the natural next step.

Over the past two decades, increasing collaboration among the American provinces has simplified internal structures and strengthened our response to the needs of the times. Contemporary means of communication and travel facilitate this coordination.

The four SND provinces are in Chardon, Ohio; Covington, Kentucky; Toledo, Ohio; and Thousand Oaks, California. While each province will continue its local ministries, the addition of an SND-USA model for outreach brings renewed enthusiasm and collaboration to strengthen broad initiatives nationwide.

The three mission priorities of SND-USA will include: – Sponsored Education and Health Care Ministries – Ministries on the Margins – Young Adult Ministries

The SNDs will remain a strong presence in each geographic area, and this restructuring will create new connections among the 500+ SNDs. While each region will continue its local ministries, this new model for outreach brings renewed enthusiasm and collaboration. In Toledo, we will continue our sponsored ministries –Lial Catholic School, Maria EarlyLearning Center and Notre Dame Academy and Junior Academy.

We look forward to sharing further information about this dynamic change with our associates, donors, colleagues and friends in the coming months. Please join us in prayer as we ask for God’s blessings on this important venture.